Generosity Effect: Patty Simon & The Concept of Home

Every so often, Karam likes to feature members of our Karam Family to celebrate their accomplishments and efforts in supporting our work.

Mohamed Ojjeh and Patty Simon with her husband, Dick at her latest gallery opening

“You’re Loved -- Pass It On”, or so said the cards that Patty Simon handed to the children she met on Karam’s Spring 2015 Innovative Education Mission in Reyhanli, Turkey. Patty wanted to spread her message of love, acceptance and empathy to children who had suffered through war and unspeakable trauma. In Spring 2015, she was able to do that, having a positive impact on the students that she worked with during the IE trip.

Patty heard about Karam foundation when her husband, Dick, met the co-founder/CEO Lina Sergie at a YPO meeting. As a result of this meeting, it was decided that they would fund the computer lab that Karam was building for a local school.

Being on the trip, “was green, calm, and beautiful… It was the exact opposite of what I thought I would see,” Patty said. She wanted to go witness the refugee crisis that would grip the media a few months later first-hand. Instead, what she found was a sleepy Turkish town revitalized by the Syrian refugees. “It was strange because you really can’t distinguish a refugee from anyone else in the town.”

That experience was extremely eye-opening for Patty, who had spent time working with the homeless population in Boston. She used her experiences working with these two similar yet different groups to inspire her latest art series, called “What Is Home?” the proceeds of which go towards supporting Karam’s programs.

Patty Simon has found her community response to be generally positive. “People care but they don’t know what to do,” she said. “It gets lost in translation, how to help.” When she speaks about her work with the Syrian refugees, she said she’s often overwhelmed by the empathy that people show but they’re often just unsure of how to channel their energies towards positive help. Patty tries to give them suggestions and nudge them towards donating to organizations like Karam.

When asked about why she is so passion, she replied very simply: “We all have an obligation.”

Thank you Patty, for continuing to inspire us at Karam Foundation with your big heart and open arms. We are so grateful to have you be a part of our Karam Family! If you or your community are interested in fundraising for Karam, please see our GET INVOLVED page. Karam Foundation wouldn't be the organization that it is today without the support and help of our Karam Family.